couple of notes: the #2 and #4 gaiwan that I would characterize as "tippy" or wobbly, sit differently in the saucer. They also both have a slightly notched foot. These two, and the all-white one #5, feel like the best made out of my 5. They are very light, very transparent, and very smooth. #2 and #4 are also my cheapest gaiwan, at less than $5/set from Serenity Art.

While I totally understand why someone would pay top dollar for fine wares (and I do it too,) it just goes to show that occassionally you find a "win" in the bargain section.

I guess the main difference is the depth of the saucer's indentation. Greek's saucers are very shallow and flat. Both gaiwan shown above, the body's footer do not touch or sits into the indentation. Instead, almost floating on the rim of the indentation, so it will not create suction.

Regarding lid fit, the only of my gaiwan that have "perfect" fitting lids are the Teavana one (the problem suction one, I should do a review on all the ways this gaiwan is poorly designed...) and the blue one #3 in my wobble video above. The others have lids that sit at an angle, or with a bit of a gap, which makes pouring easy.

My small Tea Gallery gaiwan arrived yesterday, and I just finished a tea drinking session with it. It is beautifully made from very fine porcelain, and my cup can sit upright in the saucer. I was able to create a vacuum with water yesterday so the saucer stuck to the cup once, but I wasn't able repeat the feat.

I can see becoming more adept at using the gaiwan to the point where drinking tea from it would be second nature and relaxing. When I held the saucer in one hand, and pressed down (gently) to brace the lid against the cup with the other hand, I felt that the whole unit remained secure while I drank directly from the gaiwan. But, it did feel a bit weird to drink from something so small. Do most people drink directly from it, or pour the tea into a separate cup for drinking?

JRS22 wrote: But, it did feel a bit weird to drink from something so small. Do most people drink directly from it, or pour the tea into a separate cup for drinking?

I do drink directly from gaiwans, usually when I am drinking green tea. That being said, not as much green tea is used compared to oolongs and such, so with them I usually brew them in a larger gaiwan.

So to answer your question on this particually gaiwan, I typically pour it into another cup, but that is because I am not drinking a tea I feel comfortable with drinking directly from a gaiwan.